Late
by AXENATOR
Summary: Sora didn’t notice it until a long time. He didn’t know why he didn’t see it before, but sometimes things are just too late to change. oneshot


Whew, I'm back on ! I know I know, you probably all hate me, but I'm sorry. Uh this one came to me for no apparent reason and it's not written in my usual style of first person so it's kind of different for me and I guess if any of you guys have read my other work. Hopefully it'll be alirght but if it isn' then I guess I either A) scuk at stories now or B) can't write third person. So tell me what you think of it... it's another one shot. xD

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts. It is owned by Sqaure and Disney.

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Sora didn't notice it until a long time. He didn't know why he didn't see it before, but sometimes things are just too late to change.

He had been sitting on the couch, the kids at school, Kairi out shopping with Namine, when he opened all the old tape recordings and started to watch them. What else was he to do on a rainy summer day?

He watched the tape of when he and Riku had their first play date, their parents squealing in delight at how well they got along… until Riku crashed their toy hummer into the garage. The camera was thrown to the floor so quickly, so quickly whoever had been holding it forgot to turn it off. Sora had tumbled out screaming while Riku calmly walked around the hummer, his arm twisted in a strange way, pushed past Sora's mother and put a hand on Sora's matted hair. Something was muttered and the tears instantly dried up, Sora stood up and complained to his mother quiet loudly that Riku was 'broken'. He chuckled and fast forwarded.

It was Riku's 8th birthday; Sora was only 7 at the time with Kairi. Kairi had taken her place next to Riku at the head of the 'kiddy' table as she normally did; Riku was king and she was queen after all. Sora was always just the court jester. But this time there seemed like there was some disagreement at who was to sit next to Riku that year.

"I want to sit next to him!" The little Sora crackled through the television set, tugging at Kairi's bright red hair.

"No! I'm queen! I get to sit next to him!" Kairi tried to push Sora away, not realizing that as she pushed the more Sora would tug at her red locks. A loud sigh came from Sora's mother who was holding the camera as Riku's mother rushed over to break up the fight.

"Riku is my best friend; I get to sit next to him!" Sora continued to fight with Kairi as she whined. A taller, slimmer red head came onto the screen.

"Kairi stop it, you can both sit next to him." Her mother told her as with the help of Riku's mother they pried Sora's tiny hands off of her and put him in another seat and then pulled it towards Riku. Kairi pouted while she took her place again, displeased with the outcome. It was obvious that no one noticed the bright smile that was on Riku's face when Sora inched closer to him, trying to beat Kairi out of being closest to him.

Sora fast forwarded and the video went instantly towards prom. (There hadn't been a lot of recording while they were out saving worlds and beating Heartless.) He remembered that after much debating and some encouragement from Riku, he finally asked Kairi to prom which she instantly pounced on the idea. There was a lot of fussing going on in the picture. Mostly the mothers fussing over Kairi's hair and dress, Sora and Riku left in the background. Boys didn't mean much when it came to sparkle and glitter and prom. Sora's mother had told him, what is there to fuss about over you? You're cute enough and all you do is wear a tux.

You could faintly make out the two of them having a conversation in the background, Sora's eyes bright with excitement as he adoringly looked at Kairi, Riku's eyes slightly downcast. Sora didn't remember that, when he had looked at Riku that day he looked quite happy. The mothers called them over for pictures and first up would be the lovely couple of Sora and Kairi. The camera didn't stop though; the mothers had some difficultly with cameras and camcorders and so later that night they would realize that no pictures were taken whatsoever and it was just one big video.

The one 'picture' that caught his attention was all three of them as the happy trio off to get into the limo. Kairi, twirling in her pink Cinderella dress, had asked Riku what she thought. "Beautiful." Riku responded but he hadn't even looked at her. His eyes were on Sora the entire time.

Sora didn't want to watch the rest of the tapes. A sinking feeling had begun in his stomach and he feared that if he watched the last few tapes it would ruin his whole perspective on life. But at the same time he wanted to know; he _had_ to know.

He put in the next tape. It had been titled "Sora and Kairi's Wedding." Riku had been best man (of course) and instead of watching the exchange of vows, Sora sat on the edge of the couch, staring intently at the silver haired man. Riku had started to grow out his hair then and it hung in front of his eyes. But Sora could tell; Riku's deep aqua orbs were looking through that veil of silver at him and Kairi. And when they kissed his face shifted to the side, his eyes turning downwards.

At the reception there was a nice section of him and Riku talking.

"So you're now chained to her forever." Riku had his sideways grin on his face and Sora lightly punched him.

"It's not horrible, Riku!" He stuck his tongue out as if they were 5 again.

"Yeah, that's what they all say and then poof, it goes up in flames." Riku continued and Sora rolled his eyes.

"Whatever, look it's the camera! Say something awesome about me so when I'm old and causing havoc in the nursing home I have something to watch." Sora pointed at the camera and Riku turn in his seat.

"Hey there future Sora." He waved and laughed. "I hope you didn't screw up your marriage, get a divorce and now live with only 2 of your 6 kids in a trailer."

"Riku!" Sora exclaimed with a red face. Riku held up his hands.

"Alright, alright! Jeez. Well, I hope you are having a fun time being married with all those punk kids around your house." Sora pouted. There was some static as Sora sat closer to the set to hear. "I hope, ya know, you haven't forgotten about me and left me to die alone or something…"

"Riku!" The TV Sora punched Riku in the arm. "The day I leave you is the day I die!"

"Till death do us part?" Riku raised an eyebrow with a smirk. At that time, Sora didn't see the meaning behind it, but now he bit his lip.

"Of course!" Sora picked up his glass of wine and raised it towards the camera. "Ya here that, future me? You leave Riku and I'll… uhh do something bad! Through time travel!"

"Thanks, Sora." Riku grinned.

"No problem man, I love you bro." Sora punched him in the arm with his free hand. Riku's eyes glinted as a bittersweet smile spread across his lips.

"I love you too."

Sora paused the tape and stared at the screen. Hesitantly, he raised his hand to the screen placing it silently, softly, on the face of the silver haired man. He slowly traced the outline of his face, staring at the eyes that were trained on the grinning Sora in the video.

And for the first time since his best friend's funeral, Sora cried.

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Yeah I wasn't expecting that ending either, it jsut came out like that. I don't know about this, I guess it's always good to get feeback from you guys, you are all very helpful and since this is thefirst time I tried this style I want to see how it went. Maybe I'll go back to first person, i was doing a bit of exploring.

Please read and review! Helpful critque is always welcome :


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